Volunteers Across America: Colorado

December 15, 2011

My name is Stacey Crease, and I'm a volunteer with Obama 2012 in Denver, Colorado.

One of the reasons I began supporting President Obama was because of the type of campaign he believes in. Grassroots organizing and people donating whatever they can afford is something that really speaks to me. I was involved in 2008, but it wasn’t until September of this year that I really got started with the campaign—that’s when I got a call from one of the field organizers here in Denver. He asked me if I’d like to meet for a one-on-one conversation about how I could get involved in the campaign. After a couple of meetings, I decided to open up my home to host a day of action event. It wasn’t long before I asked what I had to do to become a neighborhood team leader, which is now my current role.

As a team leader, it’s my job to recruit and develop people who will be core team members that we will rely on from now until next fall. We hold phone banks and go canvassing around the neighborhood, all in an effort to reach out to as many supporters as we can. Winning this election will come down to one simple question: Will we be able to get people out to vote on Election Day? It’s our responsibility to make sure the answer is yes.

Coloradans care about all the big national issues like strengthening the economy and getting people back to work. Voting rights is also becoming a hot topic in our state, and one that people care deeply about. We want to make sure everyone has the ability to exercise their right to vote, and we are ready to fight back any attempts to make it harder for people to cast their ballots.

That’s where our job comes into play. It’s up to us to organize the best we can so we can get our voters to the polls next November. It’s so exciting being a part of this organization. The high stakes motivate you and challenge you to work as hard as you can for President Obama. We know that the Republicans are going to be working hard to win this state in 2012, so we have to work even harder.

Two of the President’s major accomplishments have been very popular here in northeast Denver. The Affordable Care Act—something that touches everyone—is helping a lot of people all over the country to keep or find health insurance even if they have a pre-existing condition. People are also just blown away by the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” It's an issue that some have been trying to tackle over the last 20 years, and President Obama got it done.

I urge anyone who believes in what we’re doing, and believes that President Obama deserves another four years in office, to get involved. Don’t for a minute think that your help won’t make a difference to the campaign. In this organization you are treated as an individual, and you will have the freedom to work on things that are interesting to you. This is really your chance to take ownership of a piece of this campaign and make it your own.

Let’s win this thing.

Thanks,

Stacey

Stacey swears that Colorado is the best place to be in the winter—especially if you enjoy being outdoors. Stay in the loop with Stacey and the rest of the team in the Centennial State on Twitter at @OFA_CO.